


Lost

by zerostumbleine33



Series: Lost & Found [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, MCD refers to Cas at the start, Post 12.23
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 19:37:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10951323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zerostumbleine33/pseuds/zerostumbleine33
Summary: Dean is still reeling from the aftermath of their fight with Lucifer, the one that cost him his mother and his best friend all at once. When he's told that Jack Kline, the nephilim, has the power to bring back Cas, he jumps at the chance. Even if it means fighting through a million alternate realities to do so. However, how trustworthy is Jack, and how difficult will it be to obtain Cas' grace from another version of Castiel in another reality? For Dean, the choice is easy.





	Lost

He grabbed a pair of pants, a few shirts, and threw them into the green army duffel bag on his bed. Dean is unable to think, or even take a deep breath at this point. All he knows is that he’s going to fix this. Sam is downstairs, keeping a watchful eye on Jack.  _ Jack, what a fucking name for the fucking anti-christ _ , Dean thinks bitterly. If it weren’t for him, Cas wouldn’t--

 

Dean stops himself. He can’t think it, he can’t dwell on it. He doesn’t need to because he  _ will  _ fix it. His chest tightens and he feels an emptiness that he should have been used to; god how many times had he lost the ones he loved. It hurts just the same; no, worse. How many times did he need to watch Cas die? 

 

A pile of cassettes in the corner grabbed his eye and Dean could feel a sob catch in his throat. He ignored it, swallowing his feelings, much like he was swallowing the urge to drown himself in liquor, as he was also know to do. He wrapped a hand around the straps of his duffel bag and swung it over his shoulder with a huff. It was loaded with every weapon he could find. Dean’s not sure what’s out there, but he planned to be ready for it.

 

He took the stairs two at a time, his lips set in a hard line as he ignored the destruction in their bunker. He didn’t have it in him to care anymore. Sam was talking quietly with Jack, a soft expression on his face. 

 

Dean hated Jack. Well, he wanted to hate him. Truthfully, the guy didn’t know anything. He didn’t have anyone, but well...he had a memory of a promise; of a guy in an ugly trench coat with deep blue sad eyes, who’d promised to take care of him. Dean wasn’t sure that was enough but that was all they had to go on.

 

It had taken hours for Sam to pry Dean from Cas’ side, where he’d knelt and felt the world crumble around him. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t move. It was as if time was moving slowly and he could only watch from the sidelines. Sometime when the sun came up, Sam had finally been able to bring Dean inside. With a deep breathe Sam had told him, “Jack can bring Cas back”.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

 

Dean dropped his bag on the table and stared at Sam, waiting to grab his attention. Sam raised his eyebrows and stood up, patting Jack on the shoulder. 

 

“I see you’re all buddy buddy with Lucifer Junior over there,” Dean said, his voice cold. He was pushing Sam’s buttons, he knew it. It was petulant and unfair but he was pissed. It was the only emotion he could allow himself  to feel or he was afraid he’d fall apart completely. And they didn’t have time for that.

 

“Look, Dean, he’s just a victim in this too. He wants to bring Cas back as badly as you do.” 

 

Dean scoffed loudly, raising his voice in annoyance. “Oh, really, and we’re just going to trust him just like that?” Dean snapped his fingers in front of Sam’s face. 

 

Sam grabbed Dean by the arm and pulled him towards the kitchen. “Do you want Cas back or not?”

 

Dean rolled his eyes. “Of course. He’s family.” The knot in his stomach tightened as he ignored the guilt of prioritizing Cas over his own mother. That was a whole different matter.

 

Sam took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. “He’s our best shot, and you know, afterwards we can figure out what we want to do.” He shot Dean a look and continued, “but we should know better by now than to assume he’s evil by nature.”

 

“So you’re saying Cas was right?”

 

“I don’t know Dean, I’m just saying I’m giving this guy the benefit of the doubt. For now.”

 

Dean pulled his phone from his pocket out of habit, before realizing there wasn’t anyone he was waiting to hear back from. Not Cas, not his mom. He looked back at Sam, shaking his head. “Whatever man, for all I know he used his weird mojo on you too. Look what it got Cas.” 

 

Their eyes met and Dean searched his brother’s face for any sign of being mind-wiped. His long hair fell across his forehead and there were dark bags under his eyes but he looked like he always did. He looked like he was being strong, for Dean’s sake, which made his heart sink even further.

 

Sam placed a gentle hand on Dean’s shoulder and squeezed. “We’ll get him back. We always do,” he said quietly. 

 

Dean nodded, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill down his cheeks.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

 

Spell-books littered the table and Sam had assembled all the ingredients they had left in the bunker. The plan really wasn’t all that complicated. 

 

Jack could bring Cas back. His body lay in his bedroom, undisturbed. He needed one key ingredient however; Cas’ grace.

 

It always seemed to come back to that. While Dean had grieved, laying by Cas’ side all night, Sam had researched. When an angel died, it was presumed that their grace simply disappeared as well. There was no heaven for angels, since they didn’t have souls. Dean thought that was pure bullshit but it was what it was.

 

So they needed to get Cas’ grace back. Which was the biggest problem of all.

 

Until Sam realized that with Jack’s help, they had access to multiple realities. They’d already met Bobby in one. It was likely that another Castiel existed, and if they could harness just a fraction of his grace, it would be enough to bring  _ their  _ Cas back. 

 

Dean sat down, rubbing his fingers against his temple.  _ Simple _ . Just hop through a few different dimensions and hope to find Cas and ask him for some of his grace.  _ No biggie _ . 

 

He looked up and pointed at Jack, “So  _ he _ is going to open a portal, right in here, and I’ll step through it.” Everyone nodded in agreement as they went over the plan for the finale time. 

 

“We’ll close the portal once you’re through. You’ve got 5 days to find Cas there, and we’ll open the portal again for you to return.”

 

Dean looked down at the watch on his wrist. It was intricately designed, and clearly well used by a former man of letters. Time-travel wasn’t new to those guys. One small dial showed the time in his world. The others were dim, not yet connected to any new plane by whatever magic Sam had performed on it. 

 

Jack shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He barely spoke, only answering questions when asked. Dean didn’t trust him, and he glared at him from across the table. He hated that Sam had given him one of Dean’s old shirts to wear. It stung of a different memory when he should have done that and much more for Cas. 

 

“Remind me again, Jack, why I’m supposed to trust you.” Dean leaned in, narrowing his eyes. They really didn’t have time for it but Dean couldn’t help himself. Part of Dean hoped that Cas was right about the nephilim, because it meant that they had a real shot at getting Cas back. Of course, if Cas was right, it meant that Dean had been quick to judge and ignore Cas’ own intuitions. Which if he hadn’t done that, maybe Cas would be sitting there with him. His chest tightened again and he ignored it. 

 

Jack looked over at Sam. “I could feel that Cas was good. I knew it the second I allowed my grace flow into him. He is good, as was my mother.” He paused and glanced between the brothers. “I can also feel that you are both good, although there is much anger and pain.” He looked over at Dean quizzically. “There is love too, a kind that I don’t understand. Then again, there is much I don’t understand.”

 

Dean shoved his chair back loudly, interrupting Jack. It wasn’t just his words, although they brought up a deep hidden feeling that Dean had been suppressing for years. It was the way he spoke, the intonation of his words. It all felt so familiar, so  _ Cas-like _ , and it hurt him too much to even look at Jack. 

 

“We should stop wasting time,” Dean said roughly, barely acknowledging Jack. 

 

Sam walked over to him, and looked at him softly. “Be careful, and I better see you back here in five days.” 

 

Dean shrugged, “I’ll be fine.”

 

“Dean, just remember...we don’t know what kind of reality you’re going to land in. I don’t think Jack knows or can control it very well.”

 

Dean looked at him, waiting for Sam to just say what he wanted to say.

 

“I mean, remember when we saw Bobby but he wasn’t Bobby?”

 

“I do.”

 

“Well, you’re going to meet Cas but...it won’t be Cas.”

 

“I get that,” Dean said cooly. “I know it won’t be  _ our _ Cas.”

 

Sam rolled his eyes, as much as he tried not to. “Dammit Dean, I’m telling you that another version of Cas out there could be one that we wouldn’t want to know. You just need to be prepared.”

 

Dean nodded and smiled forlornly. “I know what you’re saying man, but Cas will always be Cas.”

 

As if bored by the conversation, a loud ripping sound echoed through the room as Jack stood up, his eyes glowing yellow and his body surrounded by light. A crack appeared in the corner of the room, with the sound of howling wind behind. 

 

“I guess that’s my cue,” Dean said wryly, swinging his pack across his shoulder. He didn’t wait for a response as he stepped forward, his leather boot hitting the portal and immediately transporting him far away from the world as he knew it. 

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note:**

> Depending on if this is well received, I'd like to do a series based on this and Dean's adventures as well as what Sam and Jack are up to.


End file.
